The US president, Barack Obama is going to visit three Asian countries - Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia - from November 17 to 20. He will be the first US president to visit Myanmar and Cambodia.

ACCORDING TO authorities in Myanmar, the visit of Barack Obama will not only increase the momentum of democratic reforms in their country, but will also begin the process of strengthening bilateral relations and co-operation between the two countries.

Currently, the western state of Rakhine in Myanmar is witnessing ethnic strife due to violence caused by the Buddhist Rakhines against Muslim Rohingya communities to assert themselves. In the continued violence several hundred people (mostly Muslims) have died and hundreds of thousands have been rendered homeless.

Thein Sein, 67, a former military personnel who was elected the President of Myanmar in March 2011, is considered a moderate and reformist politician. He leads the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party.

It was in 2011 that Sein was elected by the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw's Presidential Electoral College as the civilian president of Myanmar after the military rule of 49 years.